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June 19, 2009
[GET CONVERGED]
We have been converging at number 5. And if you don't know about convergence in the world of gadgetry then you have not been paying attention.
Convergence is the idea that all our techno toys should come together in one big central thing. TV, Internet, games, music, portable player, pay TV, home movies, still photography and computer should no longer come from discrete devices but should get together in one multi-function unit.
It's an interesting concept, but just thinking about the plethora of doodads that must be bought and mastered makes us go weak at the knees. However, we have been dipping a cautious toe in the convergence waters. We have been playing with a Samsung LCD/LED high definition television set. We can well believe that this splendid device could be the centre of a converged system.
First and foremost it is a fine television. Mrs Imaging thinks that it shows 3D pictures, but we have assured her that it just looks that way because the picture is so fine in all respects that it is like looking at the subject matter through clear glass.
Our interest in the Samsung is as a display device for still photographs and for movies made with still cameras, such as the Samsung WB550. We have reviewed the camera today and think it is no match for the television. It is beaten in both movie and still mode by the much better Panasonic TZ7 which comes with similar specifications.
However, we have nothing but praise for the Samsung television – well, almost nothing. The highest commendation that we can give the set is that, although it comes from South Korea, it can produce a European image with fine skin tones and subtle tonal gradations. Contrast, brightness, colour saturation, tint and sharpness are all adjustable, which is just as well because the defaults are a tad garish for our tastes.
There are four HDMI inputs for attaching high definition devices, such as a BluRay player. Then there are inputs for a computer and ethernet connections. Plus there are two USB ports. Digital (multi-channel) audio input is through an optical fibre connector.
We displayed still images as slide shows from both a USB stick and a computer. The results were sensationally good. A sound file can be included on the USB stick and cued as a soundtrack for the slide show. We would rate the Samsung as an outstanding display device for photographs.
There are a couple of design issues with the set. For instance, it is designed to be wall mounted, but if you do that you cannot reach the USB sockets at the back. They ought to be on the front panel. And the in-set sound quality is very poor. And we could have done with one less HDMI input and one more SCART or component AV socket. Apart from that we can say that we would like our future slide nights to be converged into a Samsung Series 7 TV.
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Posted by terry at June 19, 2009 05:43 PM
Comments
Hi Terry.
After reading your review of the Samsung LED/LCD HD television, we decided to purchase a unit ourselves. I have noticed that while watching a night time motorsport race, the shadows projected behind race cars had displayed artefact, but with tonal graduation, throughout the shadow projected.
Weird.
Otherwise a great view.
AndrewE
Posted by: AndrewE at July 4, 2009 02:11 PM
Andrew:
That's an interesting observation. I didn't test the Samsung as a TV receiver, because that's not my brief at Livewire -- I only tried it for its qualities as a display device for photographs. I thought it did that very well indeed.
However, while I had the Samsung I also had a Metz [German] TV here running side by side. It is an interesting comparison. The Samsung has those deep, rich blacks and vivid colours. The Metz is more like a computer monitor, with a matte screen, unlike the Samsung's glossy glass.
I judged the Samsung to be more brilliant and punchy and the Metz to be more realistic in colour and tonal rendition, but dull. Neither set seemed perfect. In the end I bought the Metz, partly because it has a nifty in-built hard drive recorder.
I can't escape the feeling that LCD TV technology is interim. It is so far from perfect that something better has to come from the R and D labs. In the meantime we'll just have to enjoy what we've got and start saving up for something better when it comes!
Terry
Posted by: dpexpert at July 4, 2009 06:26 PM